If his 2009/2010 blood testing results are consistent with blood manipulation and doping, then why are they just now filing the charges? Lance never failed a drug test in his 25 year career. The people who are accusing him (Floyd Landis and Tyler Hamilton) failed tests and had to admit doping. The Feds heard the same accusations and dropped the case for lack of evidence. It's very odd to bring a doping case forward on the basis of hearsay only.

Johan Bruyneel has been associated with some high profile dopers, but if he had some super-secret doping method that nobody can detect until years later, then Chris Horner wouldn't be sitting out the Tour de Suisse right now and the Schleck brothers would actually finish races this year.

The sad thing is if they stripped him of his TdF titles, they would be awarded to Ivan Basso and Michael Rasmussen--both of whom were suspended in their careers for doping. If Lance was doing it, then they were most certainly doing it as well at the same time.

if the USADA has good evidence which they probably do, they need to file charges. If you think anyone can win the Tour de France on water and vitamins Armstrong was in "close contact" with dr Ferrari who's reputation is well established..;p

LOL, but seriously I don't believe anyone who's won the tour de france over the last 20 years has been completely drug free. they're all a bunch of junkies in professional cycling.

This latest allegation is confusing; he says its the same allegation that the justice department could not find enough evidence to pursue a case against him so why is this organization using the same evidence to pursue him. I guess it's like the OJ case, couldn't convict in criminal court so pursued and convicted in civil court. I guess the system will fuck you over one way or the other.

Not too worried about Lance now he's out of the sport, but I'm glad they're investigating the others who are still responsible for the health and development of young athletes. Bruyneel, especially.

And I'm looking forward to seeing the DOJ testimony come out - did Hincapie and Vaughters testify? What about riders like Zabriskie who recused themselves from Olympic selection?

For those who say "all cyclists are dopers" - one of the weird facts that came out of the '98 Festina affair: Even on a team where - doping was encouraged - and the drugs were provided for free - and administered by team doctors - tests for EPO didn't exist

Not all of their athletes agreed to dope. Some of them still chose to ride clean.

So - today when testing is more stringent, and the culture of doping has changed quite a bit, I hope it's not too naive to believe that most of the peloton are riding clean.

That "tested over 500 times in his 25 year career" talking point sounds like one of those pop culture phrases people just repeat with no evidence. I'm going to email snopes.com about this; I'd like to know if he's really had 500+ drug tests, by whom, and for what. If they're testing for marijuana that's not really the issue at hand.

TroyAthlete saidThat "tested over 500 times in his 25 year career" talking point sounds like one of those pop culture phrases people just repeat with no evidence. I'm going to email snopes.com about this; I'd like to know if he's really had 500+ drug tests, by whom, and for what. If they're testing for marijuana that's not really the issue at hand.

Lance is the one who throws out the 500 drug tests figure and I haven't seen anyone dispute that. It could be high, but look at the list of his palmares in the following link. He has 47 wins, which he would have been tested after, plus each day he lead or placed high in multi-stage races like the TdF. He would also have been tested after most of the higher stage placings plus off-season surprise testing (yeah, I know...not always such a surprise). That adds up to a lot of tests over his 20 year career for an athlete of his stature.http://www.cyclingbase.com/palcoureurs.php?id=175&idtitle=1

The testing is overseen by the World Anti-Doping Agency and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and they are testing for all of the known performance-enhancing substances along with masking agents, blood preservatives, and IV agents that would indicate blood manipulation.

Lance actually failed a blood test in 1999 - he tested positive for banned corticosteroids, but a backdated medical exemption was produced and he escaped any penalty.

Then in 2001, a Swiss lab that tested Lance during the Tour de Suisse reported his sample to be "suspicious" and "consistent with EPO use". For reasons that are unclear, the matter was dropped and Armstrong was not sanctioned.

Around the same time, Lance made a $25,000 donation to the UCI, cycling's governing body.

The DOJ were investigating federal crimes like conspiracy, fraud and racketeering. They weren't trying to determine who was cheating in bike races, and they've never revealed why they dropped their case.

This is all propaganda. Lance Armstrong won his seven Tour de France victories fair and square. He has been retired from the sport of cycling for awhile now which should mean that the statute of limitations should have killed dead these latest accusations of doping. Leave the man alone and let him get on with his life. It is some of those envious, vengeful Europeans that cannot stand the idea of an American national winning the world's premier cycling event. Oh well, they need to grow up and get over it. Like European athletes never doped, yeah right. Bullshit.

While I understand and can somewhat sympathize with his statements, this is not the act of an innocent man. Alberto Contador of all people went all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport with a positive test against him--not going to the mat on this is suspicious and I've supported Lance over and over again.

It seems he's changed the argument to, "If you claim I didn't win, Travis Tygart, I will sue you personally for slander, since there is no official contested ruling against me."

While I understand and can somewhat sympathize with his statements, this is not the act of an innocent man. Alberto Contador of all people went all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport with a positive test against him--not going to the mat on this is suspicious and I've supported Lance over and over again.

It seems he's changed the argument to, "If you claim I didn't win, Travis Tygart, I will sue you personally for slander, since there is no official contested ruling against me."

Keep in mind that in the case of Contador, CAS actually determined that the amount of clenbuterol found in his system was so insignificant that it would not have any performance enhancement effects. CAS also stated that since the since the amount was also so minuscule, it was most likely ingested accidentally. But they still "find no reason to exonerate him of the charges" and gave him a two year ban, along with stripping him of his TdF title.....WTF????........They say they believe him and yet still punish him??

Now would anyone want to go in front of that court??? Innocent, suspicious or not, people deserve a fair trial and are presumed innocent until proven guilty (or at least in the US). Whether anyone hates him or believes him is irrelevant. He still deserves a fair a trial/arbitration hearing. Especially if it's funded by US tax payer money (USADA).

While I understand and can somewhat sympathize with his statements, this is not the act of an innocent man. Alberto Contador of all people went all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport with a positive test against him--not going to the mat on this is suspicious and I've supported Lance over and over again.

It seems he's changed the argument to, "If you claim I didn't win, Travis Tygart, I will sue you personally for slander, since there is no official contested ruling against me."

Keep in mind that in the case of Contador, CAS actually determined that the amount of clenbuterol found in his system was so insignificant that it would not have any performance enhancement effects. CAS also stated that since the since the amount was also so minuscule, it was most likely ingested accidentally. But they still "find no reason to exonerate him of the charges" and gave him a two year ban, along with stripping him of his TdF title.....WTF????........They say they believe him and yet still punish him??

Now would anyone want to go in front of that court??? Innocent, suspicious or not, people deserve a fair trial and are presumed innocent until proven guilty (or at least in the US). Whether anyone hates him or believes him is irrelevant. He still deserves a fair a trial/arbitration hearing. Especially if it's funded by US tax payer money (USADA).

Haven't you been reading? He had the option of having a trial where all the evidence against him would be presented - he chose not to.